Tahiti name challenge in French poll rejected

The French constitutional court has formalised the results of the first round of the French presidential election and rejected all challenges, including one from French Polynesia over the use of the candidates' names.

It has officially confirmed Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy as the two politicians through to the second round in just over a week.

In response to a challenge by among others Rene Hoffer in Tahiti, the court noted that it is of no consequence that some candidates used a first or second name different from their name in the official registry.

It has also stated that they have been allowed to use a name that varied from the one they are allowed to use by law.

A 2007 candidate in French Polynesia in the French legislative election, Loana Sanford, was forced to re-list under the name of Soana Sanford because the latter name was the one in the official registry.

The court is yet to rule on a complaint from a former French Polynesian president, Gaston Tong Sang, over a letter he claims was distributed in defiance of campaign laws.

Investigations by the French state are yet to conclude of some foreign media and websites, including one in New Zealand, for allegedly violating reporting embargoes on election day, which can be punishable with a 75,000 euro fine.